PVRS students walk out in support of transgendered individuals

NORTHFIELD — Ninety-three students walked out of class at Pioneer Valley Regional School Tuesday morning and stood in the rain to show support for transgender people, while the state voted on Question 3, a referendum on a law against discriminating on the basis of gender identity.

“Let them be what they want to be!” said seventh-grader Emily Canon. “Everyone’s human and it doesn’t matter what gender!”

“When we were younger, people told us to ‘become yourself’ and ‘be who you are,’” said 12th-grader Hannah Sliva. “Then when you actually do become who you are, now, you are getting shamed for it.”

The walkout began when the bell rang at 9:25 a.m. Students filed out of school with their teachers to the front sidewalk holding signs with slogans like “Fight for equality” and “#willnotbeerased.”